Dennis Rodman rebuffs criticism of decision to play exhibition match to celebrate North Korean leader's birthday.

Dennis Rodman, the former American basketball star, has defended his decision to play an exhibition game in North Korea as a birthday gift for the country's leader, Kim Jong-un.

Rodman has rebuffed criticism that he is pandering to a ruthless dictator, who just had his own uncle executed and continues to hold a fellow American, Kenneth Bae, for unspecified "anti-state crimes".